Device for the automatic manipulation of workpieces,in particular of textile blanks



Feb. 18, 1969 H. SCHOLL 3,428,005

DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC MANIPULATION OF WORKPIECES, IN PARTICULAR OF TEXTILE BLANKS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 Sheet ill /4 FIG] INVENTOR fl/M S 56/7011 Feb. 18, 1969 H. SCHOLL 3, DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC MANIPULATION OF WORKPIECES, IN PARTICULAR OF TEXTILE BLANKS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 Sheet 2 Of 2 INVENTOR MIA/5 J'm'ou ATTO/P/VE) United States Patent Ofiice 3,428,005 DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC MANIPULATION F WORKPIECES, IN PARTICULAR 0F TEXTILE BLANKS Hans Scholl, Bielefeld, Germany, assignor to Kochs Adlernahmaschinen Werke A.G., Bielefeld, Germany Filed Dec. 23, 1966, Sel. No. 604,483 US. Cl. 112-2 4 Claims Int. Cl. D05b 3/02, 23/00; F16h 58/06 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a device for the automatic manipulation of workpieces, particularly of textile blanks which are received on the periphery of a workpiece and pattern holder secured to a rotary table and are moved past displaceably mounted manipulating machines, such as sewing machines and trimming machines.

There is known a device for the automatic production of seams in workpieces which are received on the periphery of a rotary table and which are moved past a gage-controlled sewing machine mounted displaceably on a stand of the rotary table, as disclosed in German Patent No. 1,065,706. In this device the sewing machine is movably mounted on a swingable arm on a stand of the rotary table, in the longitudinal direction thereof, while a gage finger is received in an arm rigidly secured therewith, which controls by means of the pattern the power coupling connection of a roller influencing the movement of the material, by scanning a pattern secured to the rotary table and driven by the sewing machine, by producing a relative movement longitudinally of the patterns edge, between the sewing machine and the rotary table.

While in this known device the running roller influencing the movement of the material is driven by the gripper shaft of the sewing machine and the surface pressure of the roller at the patterns is effected by a hydraulic means controlled by it, the stepwise rotary movement of the table is provided by a separate driving motor.

In one device of this type, found in the trade, the surface pressure of the running roller on the pattern is provided by an electromagnetic roller driven by a motor, while a separate electromotor is provided for driving the rotary table.

In these known sewing devices the insertion and removal of the workpieces from the workpiece holders takes place during the rest period of the rotary table, the opening and closing of the workpiece holders being effected manually or automatically.

Th stepwise rotary movement of the rotary table requires not only a separate electromotor with a drive, but also control means such as on-and-off switches, protectors and the like for this motor. Apart from the production expense, these drive and control means are conducive to interruptions in the function of such a sewing device.

The object of the invention is to reduce the production expense required for the drive and control of the rotary table in a device for the automatic manipulation of workpieces, particularly textile blanks which are received in workpiece and pattern holders on the periphery of a 3,428,005 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 rotary table. Additionally the device is formed in such a manner, that the insertion and the removal of the workpieces in or out of the workpiece holder may take place during the rotation of the rotary table.

The basic problem to be solved by the invention is to always drive the workpiece and pattern holder carrying rotary table and the rotating roller of the movable manipulating machine by using only one motor and to keep open the workpiece holder during a partial rotation of the rotary table for the purpose of inserting and removing of the workpieces.

To solve this production problem, it is proposed according to the invention to have the rotary table driven by a constantly rotating magnetic roller abutting the patterns, while the manipulating machine executes exclusively radially directed movements relative to the table; the latter are made possible by mounting a loose magnetic roller rotatably on an elongation of the shaft which drives the magnetic roller and which rolls off onto a guide bar mounted radially of the rotary table.

In addition, it is proposed to provide a second bar of non-magnetic material, extending parallel to the guide bar, which prevents a swinging of the manipulating machine when the device is switched off.

In order to facilitate the receiving and feeding of textile blanks in the workpiece and pattern holder during the constant rotation of the rotary table by the magnetic roller, there is provided a device for the automatic opening and closing of the workpiece holders which consists of a liftable and lowerable rod, guided through the rotary tables shaft and operable by an air cylinder, and on which there is mounted, against the tension of a spring, a rotatable disc or flange which is provided with thrust bolts for the simultaneous actuation of a pair of workpieces.

A device constructed according to the invention is described in connection with the embodiment example illustrated in the drawings.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is the device, partly in section, with a rotatably driven rotary table and a sewing machine, shown in side elevation;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line IIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view, partly in section, of the device;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line V--V of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the device for opening and closing the workpiece holders.

The sewing device is carried by a pedestal 1 (FIG. 1) which is provided with an opening 2 for receiving a tube 4 formed with a flange 3. A hollow shaft 6 is rotatably mounted, on friction bearings 5, 5 in the tube 4, a rotary table 7 being secured to said shaft by means of screw 8. A thrust bearing 9 in the tube 4 serves as an axial support for the rotary table 7.

Evenly distributed exchangeable workpiece and pattern holders 10 are clamped about the periphery of the rotary table 7, workpieces 11 being held in these by means of clamps 12, which are under the influence of a compression spring 13 and on the underside whereof are secured the patterns 14, or templates 14. As is apparent from FIG. 4, these are constructed in such a manner that with a full load on the rotary table 7 with the workpiece holders 10, the patterns or templates 14 butt or adjoin one another without forming separate gaps or spaces worth mentioning and thus form an endless travel course for a magnetic roller 15.

This latter is secured to a shaft 16 driven by a driving motor (not shown), which is mounted in a link arm 17. This latter holds the driving motor (not shown) and carries also the sewing machine 18, which is mounted in such a manner that its needle 19 runs in the same axial path as the shaft 16 bearing the magnetic roll 15. The swinging arm 17 is linked with a further swinging arm 20 which is rotatably mounted on the pedestal 1, as shown in FIG. 3.

A magnetic roller 22 is rotata-bly mounted on an elongation 21 of the shaft 16 extending through the swinging arm 17. During the energization of a magnetic coil (not shown) disposed in swinging arm 17 it lies against a guide bar 23 (FIG. 2) which is screwed to the bar 24 secured to the pedestal 1 in such a manner, that the axis of the shaft 16 moves towards the axis of the rotary table 7 during the movement of the sewing machine 18. A second guide bar 25 is secured to the guide bar 24 parallel to the guide bar 23, said bar 25 being made of a non-magnetic material, said bar 25 preventing the swinging away of the magnetic roller 22 from the guide bar 23 over a permissable amount when the magnetic coil is de-energized, whereby when the magnetic coil is energized, the magnetic force of roller 22 suflices for said roller to be in contact with the guide bar 23.

A rod 26 is provided in the hollow shaft 6, said rod being linked to a pivotally mounted lever 27 in pedestal 1. The rod 26 may be lifted or lowered in a bushing 29 in hollow shaft 6 by means of an air cylinder 28. A rotatable disc 30 is mounted on the rod 26 (FIGS. 5, 6). It comprises a plate 31 which is provided with a bushing 32. The bushing 32 is rotatably mounted on ball bearing 33 against the tension of a torsion spring 34, on the rod 26. An adjustable stop 35 which is provided with a trip pin 36 and a setting ring 37 is securely clamped on the rod 26 by means of a screw 38. A screw 39 is mounted in the plate 31 which abuts the trip pin 36 under the influence of the torsion spring 34. There are further screwed in plate 31 a pair of adjustable thrust bolts 40, 40', whereby when the rod 26 is in the lowered position, the thrust bolt 40 opens the clamp of the workpiece holder 10 and the thrust bolt 40, the clamp of the holder 10'. Sequence switch cams 41 (FIG. 1) are arranged at the workpiece and template holders 10, for actuating a valve 42 which controls the air cylinder 28 for raising or lowering the rod 26.

The operation of the device according to the invention can be described as follows:

After the insertion of the workpieces 11 in the workpiece and template holders 10, 10', the device may be set in operation by switching in the driving motor 43 for the sewing machine 18 and the motor (not shown) for the magnetic roller 15 and the magnetic coil thereof. Hereby the magnetic roller 15 which abuts against the contour of the template 1 4 (FIG. 4) begins rotating; said magnetic roller moving back and forth in radial direction with the machine 18 according to the curves path, said roller being in axial alignment with needle 19.

Due to the abutment of the loose magnetic roller 22 against the guide bar 23, the driven magnetic roller 15 can only execute radially directed back and forth movements. Hereby the rotary table 7 is constantly placed in a dissimilar rotation by the templates 14, whereby, however, the rolling off speed of the magnetic roller 15 at the template 14 always remains constant. A special drive for the rotary table 7 is likewise not required.

In order to provide sufficient time for the operator so that she may move the pieces 11 coming from the machine or put these into the workpiece holders 10, 10, there are always kept open two clamps 12 of the workpiece holder 10 in the vicinity of the operators position, when the rotary table 7 is in operation. This operation is effected by the sequence switch cam which presses the rod 26 downwardly by means of valve 42 and the air cylinder 28 and thus open the thrust bolts 40, 40 actuated clamps 12.

Now the rotatable disc 30 participates in the movement of the rotary table 7, since it is in frictional engagement with the rotary table through the spring-loaded clamps 12 and the thrust bolts 40 and is displaced against the tension of the torsion spring 34 about the rod. The coupling is interrupted by the reversal of the air cylinder 28, so that clamps 12 are closed and the disc 30 moved back under the influence of coil spring 34 until the pin 39 comes to bear against the trip pin 36.

I claim:

1. A device for sewing automatically and continuously according to pro-determined contours, comprising, in combination, a pedestal member, a tubular shaft mounted for vertical rotation on said pedestal member, a rotatable table secured to said tubular shaft, a pluralty of workpiece holders and arm supports having templates with inner raceways, secured to said table, a sewing machine having a work-supporting arm and a vertically reciprocating needle, a movable link arm carrying said sewing machine, an intermediate link arm supporting said movable arm, pivoted to said pedestal member, a drive shaft mounted in said link arm, a first magnetic roller secured to said drive shaft for engaging with the inner raceways of the templates, said drive shaft aligned axially with said needle, and means for rotating said rotary table above said magnetic roller for effecting radial movements of the needle on said rotary table.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said drive shaft has an elongation extending underneath the link arm, a second rotatable loose magnetic roller mounted on said elongation, guide bar means of magnetizable material secured to said pedestal and cooperating with said second magnetic roller to enable said needle to move only in a radial direction with respect to said turning table.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said second magnetic roller is magnetizable by means of an electromagnetic coil, said guide bar means comprising a first guide bar made of magnetizable material secured to said pedestal and cooperating with said second magnetic roller to enable the needle to move only in a radial direction on said turning table, a second bar of non-magnetic material extending parallel with said first guide bar, said second bar preventing the removal of said second magnetic roller out of the coils field in the absence of current.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, further provided with means for facilitating the picking up and feeding of workpieces into said workpiece holders during the continuous rotation of said rotating table.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,345,104 3/1944 Dittrich 112-2 2,702,014 2/1955 Brownstein l122 2,722,903 11/1955 Larkin ll2-2 3,276,405 10/1966 Scholl 1l2l02 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,065,706 9/1959 Germany. 1,213,713 3/1966 Germany.

HERBERT F. ROSS, Primary Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 

